Disk space usage question

[oliverm]

Hi

We have moved to ESXi 4.1 from MS Hyper-V. So far it's much improved but we've noticed something odd about disk usage.

The server running ESX has 495GB of disk space in it's datastore. The total of the three VMs running on that server is 280GB. However the server shows only 40GB available for use. We had 5 VMs on that server with plenty of disk space spare previously, and now we can only fit 3 on. The server has 24GB of ram with only 10GB of that being used the VMs.

I'm guessing the disk space may be being used as swap space but even so that's a lot of swap space for the number of VMs on the server.

Anyone know why we are seeing such disk space figures and why we aren't able to use the remaining space?

Olly

[ScottBentley]

Do any of the servers currently have any snapshots?

You are able to see what files are taking up space by using the browse datastore feature

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[oliverm]

Hi

No, no snapshots. The VMs have only just been moved over to the new server using the convertor tool and the snapshots werent set to copy over.

[ab_lal]

Firstly refesh or rescan the datastore

browse the datastore and list the vmdk's available and compare them with the vmdk's in use by the 3 VM's. there might be orphan entries.

[KamilAzmer]

• Do you compare between datastore .vmdk and server in vm (OS)?

• If you compare that what type of .vmdk did you are using it Thin or Thick?

• If you assigned memory was 40GB your vswp also will be 40GB you have to know that.

• If you using are thin and compare between server and datastore .vmdk, you should know that thin provisioning only start grow from 0 and it's will not automatically shrink. you must shrink by using tools sdelete.

• Open your datastore and check are .vswp , .vmdk files size and add all the vm plus equal to current datastore size and you will get the total size used.

Correct me if i'm wrong

Thank you